Editorial
Palo Alto needs new 2010 priorities Brand new City Council Saturday should to focus on definable areas needing short- and long-term attention in a time of economic challenges
W
ith one exception, every member of the Palo Alto City Council who will convene Saturday for a day-long retreat has served less than two years, with four serving just since Jan. 4.
But this very “lack of depthâ€? on the council could be the biggest asset or strength, if the members realize it and compensate by doing their homework on city history and issues. Without the baggage of past history to inhibit them, perhaps the members could move ahead with determination to resolve some of the clear problems that beset our community. Only council veteran Larry Klein — who has served more time on the council in his 13-year tenure than all other council members combined — has a depth of council-level experience, which could be invaluable when it comes to recognizing areas of historical value or civic land mines. Other members have varying depths of community experience from serving on the planning commission, the school board or community groups. The test they will face Saturday (9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Palo Alto Unified School District headquarters, 25 Churchill Ave.) will be whether they can forge a cohesive set of city priorities that can actually be measured at key points during the year. The city’s three 2009 priorities appear deceptively simple: economic health, environmental protection and “civic engagement for the common good.â€? But each is immensely complex in terms of how to achieve or measure success. The local economy is subject to broader regional, state and national economic conditions, although a more aggressive economic-development program might help things locally. We are not convinced the city’s program is strong enough or that the “Destination Palo Altoâ€? effort is worth the effort or cost. The environment — doing what we can locally to combat global climate change — has been an official or unofficial activity in Palo Alto for decades. There is clearly much to be done, and by example the city can continue to provide leadership in a broader arena. The “civic engagementâ€? priority has faltered, according to results of a survey presented to the council last Monday night: Fewer people reported feeling welcomed into civic affairs in the past year than during the average for the past five years, City Auditor Linda Brouchoud reported to the council. We’re slipping backwards. But this goal may simply be too esoteric for the common good, even if the term had a simple definition. Two other priorities might well replace it. What of the former priority of emergency preparedness, in light of Haiti and continuing flood and earthquake threats? What of getting the Stanford hospitals’ expansion considered? Council members Monday night thoughtfully explored the implications of survey results contained in the annual Service Efforts and Accomplishments report by the city auditor. Some were clearly shaken by results of the independent random-sample survey that showed declines in people’s perception of Palo Alto in several key areas, despite still-high perceptions of the city as a great place overall. Several council members wanted more details, perhaps a follow-up survey that would measure more precisely differences between north and south Palo Alto and specific neighborhoods. Klein noted that only 494 persons responded of 1,200 sent surveys, a high return but still representing just over 100 persons per zip code. He and Councilman Greg Schmid determined there was a 9 percent margin of error, which Klein termed “huge.â€? Other members cited weak areas such as in perceptions of plan review and building permits, trust in city government and spikes in utility costs. City Manager James Keene said Monday night’s discussion provides a “backdrop of ‘Here’s where we are and here’s where we are going as a city’â€? that will be highly valuable at Saturday’s retreat. He said having a “collaborative conversationâ€? with the new council on Saturday will help determine “what success will look likeâ€? for the year. “What that really means is nine people talking to each other, listening, factoring in information and trying to find how to weave that together in setting direction for what’s important in Palo Altoâ€? in public, with feedback: built-in civic engagement. Page 14ĂŠUĂŠ >Â˜Ă•>ÀÞÊә]ÊÓä£äÊUĂŠ*>Â?ÂœĂŠ Â?ĂŒÂœĂŠ7iiÂŽÂ?Ăž
Spectrum Editorials, letters and opinions
Hospital renewal Editor, Unimaginable devastation barely describes the images coming out of Haiti. The Haitian earthquake and our own recent seismic activity in Silicon Valley and Eureka are disturbing reminders of what could happen here. Palo Alto is within hiking distance of one of the most destructive faults in North America. Most choose to think about health care and hospital facilities in generalities until the fever persists, the drunk driver veers, the knife slips or that which occurred in Haiti suddenly happens here. Fortunately, in Palo Alto, we have immediate access to world-class medical care at the Stanford University Medical Center (SUMC). The SUMC Renewal Project will provide us with a new, seismically safe hospital, but this project has been under discussion by the Palo Alto City Council for more than three years. The project deserves careful review, but as a voting resident of this city, I ask the City Council to at least commit to a schedule to complete the review and approval process in 2010. Time and disaster stand together when action is not taken. The SUMC Renewal Project not only ensures our safety, but it also brings jobs, significant fees to the city, a mitigation package for the community and revenue for local businesses. I want Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital there standing and safe when my family and I need them. Don’t you? Laura Adams Mosher Way Palo Alto
Don’t delay hospital Editor, In the wake of the Haitian earthquake I experience frustration with the Palo Alto process concerning the Stanford and Packard Children’s Hospitals renovation projects. Stanford Hospital must be rebuilt to meet California’s earthquake safety standards. The Children’s Hospital regularly turns children away because the need for services has outgrown the bed capacity and as other children’s facilities in the area have closed. Stanford has been working toward approval for these vital rebuilding projects yet has hit one obstacle after another. It strikes me with fear that if a natural disaster or infectious pandemic hit our community, it is our community that will suffer and would shoulder the blame for the delay. Some objectors fear the hospital’s expansion. It is unrealistic to expect to receive world-class medical care in an outmoded and chronically overcrowded facility. Some objectors fear increased traffic, although
there are reasonable plans to alleviate this problem. Some objectors seek endless perks from Stanford in exchange for a building permit, as if proximity to two first-rate hospitals isn’t benefit enough. Although maintaining the quality of life in our community is very important, we must weigh the minor inconvenience against the possible devastation that might happen for thousands if Stanford Hospital is damaged in an earthquake and cannot provide for all those that would need its services. How tragic this Palo Alto process would seem in hindsight if life brings us the unexpected. Lets break this logjam immediately and get on with construction! Bonnie Bernstein Bellview Drive Palo Alto
MediaNews Editor, Thank you for Sam Chapman’s informative story on the MediaNews bankruptcy filing, about which I had known very little, but which was worrying me. Now I know more, and I’m still worried, and angry. I was shocked to see that the
Mercury News, as well as the Daily News, is now 80 percent owned by a group of banks and bondholders, not people well known for their devotion to excellent journalism. I was also horrified to find out that the Chronicle’s parent company had invested $300 million in MediaNews so MediaNews could acquire the Mercury, as well as many other Bay Area papers. And I guess that the final straw was finding out that MediaNews founder Dean Singleton is also chairman of the Associated Press, and that he said in a speech last September that “motives for newspaper ownership have shifted over the years, from those who wanted to cover news and write opinion to those who came to view newspapers as purely financial investments.� None of this augurs well for the future for newspapers and their readers. Hang in there, guys. The Weekly may eventually be the only genuine newspaper left standing. Sue Kemp Seale Avenue Palo Alto
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